Circuit closer for electric hand lanterns



June 30, 1936. R. l.. DARLING CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR ELECTRIC HAND LANTERNS Filed April 15, 19:54

FIGJ.

Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR ELECTRIC HAND LANTERNS Application April 13, 1934, Serial No. 720,415

4 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to circuit closers and more particularly to circuit closers for hand lanterns or flashlights of the kind in which the source of electrical energy in the form of a battery of electrolytic cells is disposed Within a casing and this battery is in an electrical circuit including an incandescent lamp carried with the casing, and controlled by a switch accessible from the exterior of the casing.

An object of the invention is a circuit closer of extreme simplicity, which is capable of use in hand lanterns.

Contact actuating devices of insulatory material, such as libre, are subject to changes in dimension due to variations in climatic conditions and these changes in dimension of the actuating device make it difficult to mount in operative relation with other parts without being difficult or impossible to operate, since libre swells. Accordingly, another object of the invention is a rotatable support for a contact actuating device which will cooperate therewith irrespective of changes in the dimensions of the actuating device.

The invention also seeks a circuit closer applicable in situations Where a metallic casing of the hand lantern forms a part of the electrical circuit.

In accordance with the invention, a movable member of insulatory material is rotatably held Within a substantially U-shaped bracket carried with the interior of the casing so that a portion of the insulatory member extends through a slot in the casing for manual actuation and a resilient contact normally urged into electrical connection with the U-shaped carrier, forming part of the circuit, is adapted to be cammed away from the carrier by a protrusion on the insulatory member extending through a slot in the bracket.

The invention also seeks a circuit closer which is practical from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture and convenience and durability in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized, and in which:

Figure 1 is a detailed view taken on a section through the wall of a hand lantern showing the circuit closer of this invention, the circuit being indicated schematically; and:-

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the circuit closer looking from above.

Figure 3 shows a modified circuit closer.

This application is a continuation in part of United States application Serial Number 634,472 filed September 23, 1932.

The casing may take any form and is of metal 5 in the interest of durability and rigidity. In one wall I4 of the housing, centrally thereof, there is formed a slot 54 and behind this slot is mounted a substantially U-shaped or semi-circular shaped bracket or circuit closer housing 56, having flat 10 ends 5l lying in the same plane. The ends 51 are secured, as by rivets, to the side wall I4 of the case, outwardly of the ends of the slot, while the semi-circular wall portion 56 in conjunction with the outwardly turned ends 58 of the slot form a l5 bearing for a cam member or switch actuator 66 of insulatory or non-metallic material, say, fibre.

In the modication of Figure 3, the circuit closer housing is formed by two parallel semi-circular walls 55 enclosed or joined along the curved edges 20 by the semi-cylindrical wall 56. This cam member 60 is generally disc-like, as shown, with a thumb piece 6l on one end protruding through the slot 54 for manual manipulation, and a cam 62 extending in substantially a diametrically op- 25 posite direction through a slot 63 formed in the semi-cylindrical wall 56 of the pivot member. The cam 62, in the position shown in Figure 1, carries a leaf spring contact 66 away from the U-shaped bracket 56 to break the circuit, as here- 30 inbefore described, while in its other position, it is substantially out of contact or operative connection wtih the leaf spring contact, which, by the resiliency thereof, is carried into electrical connection with the U-shaped bracket 56 serving as a companion contact member.

All the rest of the lantern structure, to wit, the clips for the dry cells and the lamp socket support and the leaf spring contact, are shown in the parent application in detail and are merely indi- 40 cated here schematically, the battery bearing the reference character 69 and the lamp the reference character 52. As shown therein, a sheet or plate 68 of insulatory material serves as a base andhas secured thereto a bracket member 80, one leg of which is bent outwardly as a foot and is secured as by an eyelet 83 to the insulatory plate 68. Centrally, the offset part of this bracket member receives the end of a threaded conductive lamp socket. The leaf spring switch member 66 is secured in electrical connection with the foot 82 of the bracket 86 by one of the rivets 83 securing the bracket to the insulatory plate 68.

The electrical circuit includes the casing I4 55 as a ground, the battery 69, lamp 52, the lamp socket, not shown, the lamp socket supporting bracket 80, 82, the resilient switch contact member 66, the metallic switch casing 56 and thus back to the lamp casing as the ground when the switch is closed, the circuit being interrupted when the cam member is rotated to the position shown in Figure 1 and the two switch contacts 86 and 5% separated.

It will thus be seen that a particularly inexpensive, compact and convenient circuit closer has been provided which is particularly convenient and economical to manufacture since all of the parts may be assembled and inserted in place, and only two easily inserted rivets are required to secure the parts permanently in position. The disposition of parts avoidsY all of the disadvantages of existing circuit closers for hand lanterns.

Various modications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, conguration and disposition of the yvarious component elements going to make up the invention as a whole, as well as in the selection and combination of the several elements one with another or for independent use, and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing, except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

, 1. In a hand lantern whereof the casing forms part of the electrical circuit and is formed with a slot, and having a spring pressed contact, a conductive switch member secured to the casing comprising a semi-cylindrical wall slotted in substantially the same plane as the slot in the casing and carried with the casing, a disc-like member of insulatory material received within the semi-cylindrical wall and freely pivoting therewithin, a thumb piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the casing, a cam piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the wall and movable, in one position, to deiiect the spring pressed contact out of electrical connection with the semi-cylindrical wall.

2. A circuit closer for a hand lantern whereof the casing forms part of the electrical circuit and is formed with a slot, comprising, in combination, a spring pressed contact, a semi-cylindri`- cal slotted conductive wall and engaged by the contact to close the circuit, an insulatory disc freely pivoting within the semiecircular Wall, a thumb piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the casing, a cam piece carried with the disc and extending through the 1() slot in the Wall and movable, in one position, to deflect the spring pressed contact away from the semi-cylindrical wall.

3. In a hand lantern whereof the casing forms part of the electrical circuit and is formed with a 15 slot the ends of which are 'turned outwardly, a Vspring pressed contact in said circuit, a conductive semi-cylindrical wall slotted in substantially the same plane as the slot oi the casing, a disc like member of insulatory material freely pivoting within the semi-circular wall, a thumb piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the casing, a cam piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the wall and movable, in one position, to deflect the spring pressed switch contact away from the semi-cylindrical wall.

4. In a hand lantern whereof the casing forms part of the electrical circuit and is formed with a slot, and having a spring pressed Contact, a conductive switch member secured to the casing and having semi-circular parallel walls` and a semi-cylindrical wall joining the two, the last named wellbeing slotted in substantially the same plane as the slot of the casing, a disc-like member of insulatory material received between the parallel walls and freely pivoting therebetween, a thumb piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the casing, a cam piece carried with the disc and extending through the slot in the wall and movable, in one position, to deflect the spring pressed switch Contact.

ROY L. DARLING. 

